1 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,000 ANDREW LINCOLN: Our weather is wilder... 2 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:20,000 ..fiercer... 3 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:23,000 ..more unpredictable... 4 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:26,360 ..than ever before. 5 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,000 REPORTER: Rare red weather warnings 6 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,360 meaning there's a potential danger to life. 7 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,520 Such weather is more frequent and intense. 8 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,000 I think we had this conversation in our newsroom, you know, 9 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,000 when they were evacuating all the people. 10 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,520 What about the animals? 11 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:49,000 For the first time... 12 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,000 ..we see the planet's most extreme weather... 13 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,000 ..through their eyes. 14 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,000 When nature turns against them... 15 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,000 ..they're not just enduring... 16 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,000 ..they are fighting back... 17 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,000 ..in remarkable ways. 18 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:26,000 The bigger the storm... 19 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,000 ..the greater the heroes. 20 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:33,000 GROWLS 21 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,000 TRUMPETS 22 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:39,000 These animals are... a force of nature. 23 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,000 REPORTER: This is just total devastation. 24 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,000 I've never seen anything like it. 25 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,040 The fire chief is predicting the most dangerous bushfire week 26 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,000 this nation has ever seen. 27 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:13,000 AUTOMATED VOICE: You are in danger 28 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,000 and need to act immediately to survive. 29 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,000 The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. 30 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,000 It is too late to leave. 31 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:43,000 The ancient eucalyptus forests of Eastern Australia... 32 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,000 ..home to two thirds of the world's most iconic 33 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,840 and quirky marsupials... 34 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,000 ..including the wombat. 35 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,000 Weighing as much as a German shepherd... 36 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:16,000 ..like all marsupials, she carries her baby in a pouch. 37 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:28,000 At seven months old, her joey is developing a taste for grass. 38 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,000 By ten months old, he's found his legs. 39 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:46,000 And he's becoming quite a handful. 40 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,200 CHIRPING 41 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,000 Like every long-suffering mother, 42 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,000 she makes the most of her brief breaks. 43 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:22,000 Close to weaning, the youngster craves fresh grass more and more. 44 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,360 But today, it's harder to come by... 45 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,000 ..tempting him... 46 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,000 ..deeper into the forest. 47 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,000 In the driest year in recorded history... 48 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:05,000 ..the forest has become a tinderbox. 49 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:43,000 The naive youngster has never experienced fire before. 50 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:46,040 He needs to get back to mum... 51 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:49,000 ..fast. 52 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,360 There have always been fires in the Australian bush. 53 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,840 But not on this scale. 54 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:17,000 The young wombat's forest is about to be consumed. 55 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,360 Every second counts. 56 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,000 Today's wildfires may be unprecedented... 57 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,840 ..but the scale of the underlying drought is even bigger... 58 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:48,000 ..and now affects a third of the entire world's land surface. 59 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:51,680 REPORTER: In the last two years, 60 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,000 Earth has endured some of the most widespread 61 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,200 and destructive droughts ever recorded. 62 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,000 The worst drought seen in more than 50 years. 63 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:01,000 It's the longest dry spell on record. 64 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,000 After more than a year without rain. 65 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:15,000 Nowhere has been hit harder than Africa. 66 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:27,000 The drought in Zambia has reached crisis levels. 67 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,000 As food sources disappear, 68 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,000 animals are driven closer to towns and villages 69 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,000 and into deadly conflict with people. 70 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:16,000 Like all leopards, this female leads a solitary life. 71 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:28,000 But once every few years, she finds a mate. 72 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:48,000 At 12 years old, this could be her last chance to have cubs. 73 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,000 After a brief affair... 74 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,000 ..she's pregnant. 75 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:34,840 If she's to successfully give birth, she must keep well fed. 76 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:43,000 But the drought has ravaged her world. 77 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:56,200 A small grove... 78 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,000 ..by a dried riverbed... 79 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,000 ..is the only place where prey remains. 80 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,000 Everyone is on the lookout for predators. 81 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,000 GROANING AND GRUNTING 82 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,360 It's never been harder to launch an ambush. 83 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,000 To catch an impala... 84 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:00,000 ..she needs to get within just a few metres. 85 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,000 MONKEY CALLS Busted. 86 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:46,000 One on one, a leopard can kill a baboon. 87 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:52,040 But facing the whole troop... 88 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:55,000 she is now the one in danger. 89 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,000 BABOONS SCREECH 90 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,000 Trapped and left hungry... 91 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,000 ..it's not just her pregnancy at stake. 92 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:42,000 It's her life. 93 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,000 ANDREW LINCOLN: Drier than the African savannah... 94 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:10,000 ..deserts are getting hotter and expanding. 95 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:21,360 Life here is now facing hell on earth. 96 00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:25,000 REPORTER: As you add more heat, storms get stronger, 97 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,000 they more rapidly intensify. 98 00:13:32,680 --> 00:13:35,000 Apocalyptic dust storm. 99 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,200 We're getting hit hard with the wind. 100 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,000 It is really picking up here. 101 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,000 Here in the Sonoran Desert... 102 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:11,360 ..ground temperatures have hit a new world record. 103 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,520 80.8C. 104 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:31,000 Even desert specialists like cacti wither. 105 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:42,000 Animals caught out in the midday sun can be cooked alive. 106 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,000 But a canny few retreat underground. 107 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,000 At five years old... 108 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:03,000 this veteran kangaroo rat has never faced heat like this before. 109 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:15,000 Even a metre down, it's a sweltering 38C. 110 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:23,000 Dehydration can be a killer. 111 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,000 But he bides his time. 112 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,000 At night, it's ten degrees cooler... 113 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,000 ..and the desert comes alive. 114 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:55,000 He's not after a drink. 115 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,680 He may never drink a drop of water in his life. 116 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,000 Getting all the water he needs... 117 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,000 ..from grass seeds. 118 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:17,000 But they're harder to find than ever. 119 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,000 To make matters worse... 120 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:38,680 ..warmer nights... 121 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:43,000 ..mean more cold-blooded predators are on the prowl. 122 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:09,000 This may be his last supper. 123 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:25,000 SQUEAKS 124 00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:35,000 Saved by his kangaroo springs... 125 00:17:46,360 --> 00:17:49,000 ..he can finally eat in peace. 126 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:14,000 But with a new dawn comes a new danger. 127 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,000 Record-breaking heat... 128 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:24,000 ..unleashes nature's fury. 129 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:42,000 As our planet heats up, it burns. 130 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,000 In 2024 alone, 131 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,000 wildfires burned an area bigger than India. 132 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,000 But nowhere are they more destructive 133 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,000 than in Eastern Australia. 134 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:13,000 REPORTER: Just outside Sydney, conditions are so dangerous, 135 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,000 the fires have been rated catastrophic. 136 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,000 Literally off the scale of fire danger. 137 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:22,000 We are in the midst of a bushfire crisis tonight. 138 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,000 The young wombat has lost his mum. 139 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:38,000 And there's just minutes to escape the flames. 140 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:49,000 A record fuel load... 141 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:53,840 ..fanned by powerful winds... 142 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:04,000 ..transforms a regular bushfire into a firestorm... 143 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:12,040 ..with flames towering over 70 metres high. 144 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,000 Koalas instinctively climb to the treetops. 145 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,200 But today, there's no escaping the flames. 146 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,000 Running is equally futile. 147 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:47,000 This fire is faster than an Olympic sprinter. 148 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:05,000 For the young wombat, all hope appears lost... 149 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:17,680 ..until he simply vanishes. 150 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:36,000 An ancient burrow... 151 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,000 ..more than 20 metres long. 152 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,000 Dug out by generations of wombats. 153 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,000 In this age of the mega fire, 154 00:21:55,000 --> 00:22:00,000 they've become a lifeline for Australia's wildlife. 155 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:13,000 Nearly 50 species are known to seek refuge in wombat burrows. 156 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:33,000 But without his mum, food or water, he won't last more than a week. 157 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:43,000 All he can do is wait for the flames to pass. 158 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:10,000 REPORTER: Zambia has experienced the worst drought since records began. 159 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:16,680 9.8 million of our people have been adversely affected. 160 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,000 We declare the national disaster. 161 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,000 ANDREW LINCOLN: The leopard is now a month into her pregnancy. 162 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,000 And there's no end to the drought. 163 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:04,000 The surrounding plains have become virtually uninhabitable. 164 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:16,000 More and more animals seek refuge in the shelter of the forest... 165 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,000 ..and with them, predators. 166 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,200 Three times the size of a leopard... 167 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,000 ..a lioness will kill her on sight. 168 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,360 Her life has just got tougher. 169 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,360 Nightfall brings welcome cover. 170 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:41,520 And not just for the leopard, as revealed by a thermal camera. 171 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:04,000 Her incredible night vision, six times better than ours, 172 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,360 now gives her the edge over her prey. 173 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:24,000 Sensing danger, the impalas group together for safety. 174 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:01,000 But she has company. 175 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,520 The lioness is back. 176 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:39,000 Hunger now drives her to desperate measures. 177 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:22,000 Wild animals instinctively avoid humans. 178 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,000 But extreme drought changes the rules. 179 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,000 A wise decision. 180 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:14,000 Attacks on humans rarely go unpunished. 181 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:26,000 But if she's to survive the coming weeks and complete her pregnancy... 182 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,680 ..she'll have to find a new hunting strategy. 183 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:51,360 The kangaroo rat's urgent need for life-giving seeds 184 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:56,000 has forced him to venture out before sundown... 185 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:03,000 ..exposing him to new dangers. 186 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,040 Over 60 miles wide... 187 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:13,000 ..and over a mile high... 188 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:18,520 ..a sandstorm. 189 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:24,000 SQUEAKS 190 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:00,000 Everything is buried... 191 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:08,000 ..but not necessarily dead. 192 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,000 He may have survived the storm, 193 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:30,000 but his grass seeds have been scattered far and wide. 194 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:37,000 To eat, he must venture... 195 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,000 ..into hostile territory. 196 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,000 Precious seeds. 197 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:16,000 But they're already spoken for... 198 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:22,000 ..and this young buck isn't about to share. 199 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:32,000 It's youth versus experience... 200 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:36,840 ..in a game of kangaroo rat kung fu. 201 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:50,000 SQUEAKING 202 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:09,000 Beaten... 203 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:14,000 ..and without seeds... 204 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,680 ..the old male won't last long. 205 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:30,000 But in this desert, his fortunes can change in a heartbeat. 206 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:46,200 ANDREW LINCOLN: As summer in the desert reaches its peak... 207 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:54,000 ..the extreme heat doesn't just cause sandstorms. 208 00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,000 It triggers thunderstorms. 209 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,200 Although rain is becoming increasingly rare here... 210 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:33,000 ..when it does fall... 211 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:36,000 ..it's a deluge... 212 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:53,000 ..sparking a once-in-a-decade miracle. 213 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:05,000 Over the next two weeks, the desert is transformed. 214 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:15,000 A superbloom of flowers. 215 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:38,000 Most kangaroo rats will never experience bounty like this. 216 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:47,000 But this moment is fleeting. 217 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:55,000 As deserts continue to heat up... 218 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:03,000 ..even a supremely adapted animal like him 219 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,000 faces an uncertain future. 220 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:43,000 This experienced leopard 221 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,000 has just a month left of her pregnancy... 222 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:55,000 ..but her chances of a successful birth are lowering by the day. 223 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:07,000 Midday temperatures now exceed 45C. 224 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,000 It's too hot for the chase. 225 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:39,000 Putting predators... 226 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:43,000 ..out of action. 227 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:57,840 And too hot for the baboons to stand guard. 228 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:13,200 Even the impalas are forced into the shade. 229 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:25,000 This could be her time. 230 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:43,000 At last, she can approach unnoticed. 231 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:19,000 CHEETAH SNARLS 232 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,000 IMPALA BLEATS 233 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,000 But in the confines of the forest... 234 00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:50,000 ..her enemy is never out of earshot. 235 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:53,040 Her willingness to hunt in the heat of the day... 236 00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:56,000 ..has paid off. 237 00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:11,520 And three months later... 238 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:16,000 she's rewarded with two healthy cubs. 239 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,680 While they will face future hardship... 240 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:32,000 ..of all Africa's big cats, it's the leopard, 241 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:35,000 with all her resilience and adaptability... 242 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:41,000 ..that has the greatest chance of surviving the enduring drought. 243 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:07,000 Days have passed since the inferno... 244 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:27,000 ..leaving no living creature in sight. 245 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:52,000 The young wombat may have survived the flames... 246 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:58,000 ..but his problems have only just begun. 247 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:16,000 There's no sign of his mum. 248 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:32,000 No green vegetation. 249 00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:36,000 No food. 250 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:45,000 There's nothing but burnt wood and ash. 251 00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:55,000 Today, a single fire may incinerate an area 252 00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:59,000 six times the size of London. 253 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:07,360 On this scale, starvation kills more than the fire itself. 254 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:35,000 Alone, without food or water... 255 00:44:36,040 --> 00:44:39,000 ..he will die in a matter of days. 256 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:51,000 But he is not alone. 257 00:44:57,000 --> 00:44:59,000 Many have come forward... 258 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:06,520 ..volunteers from all walks of life. 259 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:26,000 The world is warming so fast... 260 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:32,000 ..animals everywhere are struggling to adapt. 261 00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:39,360 Some will endure. 262 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:42,000 But for so many... 263 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:47,000 ..we are their only hope.